Means of inflation



F. B. ALLEN MEANS oF INFLATION July 6, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. ll, 1944 l I l l 1 y l l n I INVENTORPatented July 6, 1948 trice A MEANS or INFLA'rroN Frank Allen, Verona,N. J., assignor to C-- Two Fire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J., acorporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1944Serial No. 517,895

This invention relates to method and means of inflation generally, andmore particularly to the inflation of life rafts and the like by the useof carbon dioxide as the inating medium.

Carbon dioxide has been used extensively for inflation purposes andparticularly for inflating life rafts. A supply of liquid CO2 is storedunder high pressure in a container preferably mounted on the deflatedlife raft with its discharge tube connected to a nipple on adistributing device in communication with the inflatable compartments ofthe life raft to inflate the same upon release of the CO2 liquid fromthe container. It is most desirable that the proper inflation beeffected in all cases and in the least possible time and that the supplyof CO2 liquid be just enough to accomplish this so as to keep the weightof the CO2 and container as low as possible. Heretofore a certain amountof the CO2 liquidturned to snow during inflation in increasing amountsproportionate to the decrease in atmospheric temperature, with theresult that a CO2 liquid supply that would normally inflate a life raftsatisfactorily at a temperature of '70"A F. or above would not provideproper inflation at lower temperatures ranging down to as low as 40 F.below zero. While the CO2 snow Will sublime and form gas and completethe inflation, this may be of no value as life rafts must be inflatedimmediately and CO2 snow does not sub-lime quickly. My inventionprovides a method and means for inflating a life raft immediately uponrelease of the CO2 liquid and infiating it properly at temperatures aslow as atleast 40 F. below zero.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide animproved method of inflating life rafts or the like with CO2 or itsequivalent as the inating medium, more particularly by entraining theCO2 gas as it is being formed at the nozzle within the compartment ofthe life raft with atmospheric air in suicient quantities tosubstantially prevent the formation of CO2 snow.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means forentraining the CO2 gas with air as the CO2 gas is formed and preferablyas it enters the inflatable compartment of the life raft.

A more speci-fic object of this invention is to provide means for soinflating a life raft having a plurality of inflatable compartments.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 discloses a life raft and an inflation melll of Fig. 2; and

dium container and one form of myfiinprov'ed distributing device mountedon the rim ofthelif'e raft;

Fig. 2 is a view of the distributing devicel'c'iok-- ing upwardly inFig. 1; p

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section' through the distributingdevice on the line 3-3 of Fig-,2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on theline' --l'lfof Fig. 2'; i v Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line'5-5 Fig, 6 shows a modified form ofl a distributing device inlongitudinal central section corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3. Forthe purposes of disclosure of my new meth-I od and means of inflation,have chosen to show the same used in inilating a life raft 'generallydesignatedas A (Fig. l) which includes airin-l iiatable rim Il which maybe divided by a par# tition l2, as shown in Fig. 3f, into upper andlower compartments. My invention in its broad aspect is applicable tothe inflation of a single compartment.

My invention in the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises adistributing device 'gel-'ierally indicated at B suitably mounted on theinner side face of the rim of the life raft and to which CO2 inating''liquid is delivered'from a CO2 liquid container C also suitably mountedon the inner side face of the rim of the life raft;

The distributing device B comprises a block I5 Which is provided Withtwo longitudinally eX`` tending bores It and ll and with two Vlficillovlprojections i8 and i9 which extend into the conipartments in the rim Iland through which` the inflating CO2 gas andair enter the compartmentswithin the rim.

Mounted Within the bore l1 is a member-"to provided with a through boreor iniiatiiig liquid manifold 2l' which is enlarged at its ends asindicated at '22 and 23, to provide valve chambers in which operatevalves 24 and 25 which are spring pressed by springs 2S and 2l againstvvalve seats formed in the' inner ends of the valve chambers. YThesprings are retained in position lby plugs 28 and 29 threaded into theouter ends of the valve chambers. The valve chambers communicate withthe interior of the projections i8 and I9 through nozzles 3Q and 3l. Asdisclosed in Fig. 2, the block l5 is provided with a nipple' 32 which isported and in communication with the through bore or manifold 2l, asindicated at 35, Fig. 3. The inner end of the nipple extends into themember 2li and holds it in position in the block I5.

In order that the inflating CO2 liquid may be instantly available forinflation purposes, the container C is provided with any suitable formof quickly operable discharging means indicated at D, the discharge portof which is connected by a coupling member 35 to the nipple 32.

The bore or air intake manifold i6 is closed at its ends by plugs 40 and4l and each end of the bore communicates by passageways 43 and 44extending around the member 20, Figs. 3 and 4, with the interior of theprojections I8 and I9 Vin the vicinity of the bases of the nozzles 39and 3 I.

In order that air may be excluded from the bore or air intake manifoldIB normally but be admitted during inflation, the block l5 is providedwith a hollow projection 45 provided with a seat for a valve gasket 46with which cooperates a hollow composite valve construction comprising arelief valve 48 which is guided in its movements and retained inposition by means of a coupling member 49 threaded onto the projectiono5 and provided with a screw thread for connection thereto of a hose orthe like for drawing air from a space above the water.

The interior of the relief valve 48 is provided with a valve seat 55with which cooperates an air intake valve 56 provided with a stem 5Islidable in a guiding element 58 carried by a ported member 59 threadedin the block l5 at the lower end of the bore in the projection 45. Therelief `valve 48 of the composite valve member is held on its seat bymeans of a spring 60 the tension of which may be predetermined or may beadjusted by means or the coupling member 49 so that it will leave itsseat when the pressure Within the inflated compartment or compartmentsis too high, permitting escape of the inating gas and 'air throughapertures 6l in ,the side Wall of the relief valve 48 outA into theVatmosphere.

As disclosed, I may substantially enclose the distributing device in arubber member 62 which also surrounds the projections I8 and I9 and maybe secured in position by cement or vulcanization and which .is providedwith la horizontally extending flap or shoe 63 by means of which thedistributing devicemay be secured either by vulcanization or cement tothe side wall of the rim of the life raft.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 6, the distributing block I5' isof substantially the same construction as in the rst embodiment as tothe member 20 and the manifold 2l' `and ports through which the CO2 isdischarged into the compartments in the life raft. The air intake,however, is modified and instead of using a single air intake and reliefvalve as in the first embodiment, I employ separate intake. valves 65land 66 and a separate relief valve 5l for each compartment of the liferaft.

Thevthrough bore or air intake manifold i6' which is in communicationwith the atmosphere, as before, through the ported projection 45 andcoupling 49, is enlarged at its .ends to provide valve chambers 10 and1I and shoulders for valveseat rings 12 and 13 with which cooperate thevalves 65 and 66 which are provided with stems slidably guided inopenings in plugs 16 and 11 screw threaded in the outer ends of thevalve chambers. The inner ends of the openings in the plugs are incommunication with the valve chambers through bores 18 and 19, asindicated, to facilitate movement of the valves into open and closedpositions during ination and at the end of the inating operation.

The distributing block I5' may be encased in a rubber casing 62'provided with an attaching flap 63.

The plugs 28' and 2B threaded in the ends of the members 20' preferablybear on washers 80 and 8| which in turn bear on sealing rings 83 and 84.

For purposes of disclosure I have described the use of CO2 as theinating medium. In so far as the prevention of snow is concerned, it isalso obvious that my invention is applicable to ination by any snowforming liquid where the amount of snow formed can be reducedsubstantially by the entrainment of atmospheric air. In the claims Iemploy the expression CO2 to cover carbon `dioxide and its equivalents.

While I have described my invention with particularity as to twopreferred embodiments of the device that may be employed, it is to beunderstood that I reserve the right to all such changes in the methodand device 4as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. A distributing device for inflating two compartments comprising amanifold block provided with inflating CO2 fluid and air distribut-A ingbores the ends of which are provided with valve chambers, valves closingthe ends of said bores, and nozzles in communication with the valvechambers for the inflating uid, said block being portedto connect thevalve chambers for the valves controlling the air distributing bore toregions at the bases of said nozzles.

2. A distributing device for inflating a plurality of compartmentscomprising a block provided with an iniiating CO2 liquid manifold andWithja port communicating with said manifold through Which inflatingliquid may be injected, the-ends of said manifold being provided withvalve seats and valve chambers, valves normally seated on said valveseats, nozzles communicating with said valve chambers and projectinginto said compartments,` said block also being provided with an airintake manifold in communication with the regions around the bases ofthe nozzles, and a combinedintake and release valve on said air intakemanifold comprising a spring pressed pressure release valve element andan air intake valve cooperating with said pressure release valve topermit air to enter said air manifold during inflation and to preventthe escape of air and gas after iniiation has been effected.

FRANK B. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthisl patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Humphreys Feb. 15, 1944

